The New York Jets are in the middle of a really interesting offseason right now. Head coach Aaron Glenn is heading into his second year in charge of the team, but there is a weird vibe around his tenure, and it doesn’t feel like many have a strong conviction that he’s the guy long term. 

Whether it is Glenn leading the team into the future past the 2026 NFL season or not, there is a foundation that needs to be laid this offseason. That includes the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be vitally important for this Jets team. With New York holding the No. 2 and No. 16 overall selections, as well as two other selections in the top 44, there is a ton of value to be found. 

Those two first round selections are going to be the main focus of this exercise. While that No. 2 pick will end up being chalky more than likely, there is a worst-case scenario that the Jets are going to hope to avoid. 

The chalky No. 2 selection 

While there hasn’t been a definitive report on who the Jets are taking, it’s the worst-kept secret in the NFL outside of the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Most people understand that it’s going to either be Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey. Those are the two most likely targets right now. 

I believe that Reese will be the guy for the Jets in the end. With the Jets running more of a 3-4 defense, the former Buckeye defender feels like a perfect fit with his ability to play stacked and rush off the edge. Bailey would also make some sense with the departure of Jermaine Johnson this offseason. 

Barring something unforeseen, there will not be a major surprise with that top selection. The surprise could come at No. 16, depending on how the board falls. That includes the possibility of that aforementioned worst-case scenario. 

The chaos that No. 16 can bring 

If you frequent most mock drafts this time of the year, people typically have the Jets taking a wide receiver, whether that ends up being Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) or Makai Lemon (USC). If the wide receiver run starts earlier, however, as folks like Daniel Jeremiah and Todd McShay have suggested recently, there is a chance that the Jets could come up with the three top wide receivers already off the board. 

With the pro day that Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy just put together, it’s not inconceivable to suggest that the two top cornerbacks could be off the board as well, along with Mansoor Delane (LSU). In the hypothetical world where both the wide receiver and cornerback boards are dried up, things can get a little complicated. 

Defensive tackle is a big need, but I’m not sure that any will demand top-20 capital at this point. At 16, the EDGE board would be well into the second tier of pass rushers, in case that’s where you wanted to go to mix and match skill sets with Reese. I’m not sure that’s where this team will want to go. 

A wildcard for that spot is Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, although it isn’t totally certain that he will also be available. Would the Jets value a tight end like Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) this early? It just feels like a board that could cause some problems for the Jets if it falls similarly. 

For the visual people out there, here is what that worst-case scenario would look like in mock draft form. As you may notice, it isn’t far-fetched to speculate that it could fall in a similar fashion, which is bad news for the Jets.

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana 

2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State 

3. Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech 

4. Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame 

5. New York Giants: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State 

6. Cleveland Browns: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State 

7. Washington Commanders: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State 

8. New Orleans Saints: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU 

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami 

10. Cincinnati Bengals: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee 

11. Miami Dolphins: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

12. Dallas Cowboys: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon 

13. Los Angeles Rams: Makai Lemon, WR, USC 

14. Baltimore Ravens: Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State 

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

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